School Librarian of the Year Award 2019 Opens for Nominations

Dubai, 25 September 2018: The annual School Librarian of the Year Award has opened for nominations. Now in its third year, the Award champions the important role that school librarians have in influencing children to read books for pleasure. It is given by the Emirates Literature Foundation and The Executive Council of Dubai to those school librarians who have been shown to make a difference to literacy in their schools, sharing their passion for books and inspiring the next generation of readers.

The 2019 School Librarian of the Year Award is awarded in two categories - school librarians working in public (government) schools in the UAE and school librarians working in private schools in the UAE. All nominees will be given a registration to a one-day professional development session at the Sharjah International Book Fair/ American Libraries Association conference in November 2019. Nominations made before 15 November will be included in our Early Bird lottery draw for three pairs of tickets to a main programme session at the 2019 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.

The winners will be honoured at a ceremony during the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the Foundation’s landmark event, from 1-9 March, 2019.

'We are happy to sponsor and participate in the School Librarian of the Year Award for the third year in a row, because we believe in the vital importance of developing a culture of reading,' said Shumous Bin Faris, - Coordinator of Reading Initiatives in Dubai. 'Reading is so important in establishing fundamental values, increasing knowledge and even developing the personality of growing children. It is vital in building the future of our nation.'

Shumous added, 'Reading empowers people. It gives us the opportunity to develop knowledge. Young adults especially have engaged with the The National Strategy for Reading, and the month of reading, both of which help the younger generation make reading a part of their daily lives. These initiatives also reinforce Dubai's status as a unique cultural destination, developing the economy, human values and empowering young people through education and culture. We are proud of this award, which shines a light on the heroes of our society who devote their time and effort to instill the love of knowledge in our children's' hearts.'

‘Reading for pleasure is one of the most important things that we can teach our children, a life-long gift that feeds the imagination and opens the door to other worlds,’ said Isobel Abulhoul, OBE, CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation. ‘Librarians play a huge role in helping to make this love of reading happen, reassuring the reluctant reader or spurring the more confident on with the perfectly chosen books that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.’

Nominations

Over the last two years more than 175 nominations have been submitted from around the country. Nominations can be put forward by any individual, including colleagues, head teachers, students, governors and parents. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

Eligibility Criteria

All schools are eligible, whatever their language, but nominations must be entered online in either Arabic or English. Shortlisted nominees from both public and private schools will be judged on the the library’s role within the school and wider community in line with the following criteria:

How does the library environment promote reading?

Does the library make the best use of the resources available to it (including the physical library collection and use of technology)?

What is the librarian’s, and the library’s role in raising academic and literacy standards in the school?

How does the librarian promote reading for pleasure?

What is the library’s role within the school and the wider community?

Prizes

Each prize will be awarded to a librarian in a public school library and to a librarian in a private school library:

First Place: Trip to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter for 4 people, to include flights, accommodation and entry to the studio tour; visit to the British library; an item of library furniture; voucher for AED 2000 for library books

Second Place: Visit to Dubai Parks and Resorts for 4 people including two nights’ accommodation at a Dubai hotel; voucher for AED 1500 for library books

Third Place: Voucher for AED 1500 for library books

All three winners in each category will also be awarded registration to the Sharjah International Book Fair/ American Libraries Association conference in November 2019.